Albion Shukra
Albion Shukra, also known by her Skorpe handle, , is one of the trolls in Vast Error. Her associated alchemic sigil is Copper and her horns curl all the way back into themselves. She was told she was the twelfth and final in a line of extraterrestrial prophets known as Star Children, who spanned across several iterations of the Solitary Universe before the final one containing Repiton. She was supposedly destined to become a being of complete conciliation known as 'The Pure Oneself'. This was a lie told to her by her Star Guardian who made a promise to the true twelfth Star Child, The Exemplar, to raise her under false terms and ensure she represses her emotions to make her more powerful during The Game. She was the third troll introduced and the sixth troll to enter the game. Etymology The word albion refers to the name of a specific advanced equatorium (an instrument used to measure the relative positions of heavenly bodies without calculation) built by Richard of Wallingford in 1326. It was unique in its ability to predict eclipses in addition to being able to calculate lunar, solar and planetary longitudes. Her surname, Shukra, is a Sanskrit word that means "lucid, clear, bright". It is also the name of an ancient sage who counseled Asuras in Vedic mythology, and the term for Venus in Hindu astrology. Biography Six Sweeps Nothing is currently known about who Albion was or what Albion looked like at six sweeps. Pre-game Shortly after her introduction, Albion uses her computer to enter The Cell after she is messaged by Taz, who'd just dealt with a particularly frustrating exchange with Murrit. Murrit had told Taz about a strange game he'd help put together and that not only would she have to play, but she was also obligated to do it with Arcjec, Taz's former friend who had spent the better part of two years avoiding Taz after a bad blow-up between the two. After a mysterious comment made by Albion (albeit one made jokingly), Taz asks if Albion might know anything about it. Albion states that she does not she does not what Murrit might be planning but knows that the night was of great importance, as it was the night Repiton would finally crumble and the night she was expected to save it. Taz, a staunch non-believer of Albion's prophetic destiny dismisses the notion. Albion then repeats Murrit's sentiment and states that Taz really should try to reach out the Arcjec and finally try to work out their differences, instead of her merely trying to get his attention. Taz continues upset at the suggestion. Their conversation ends with Albion going over her destiny to merge with her lusus and salvage the remains of Repiton and the remaining troll species. Taz is left confused and concerned for her moirail. Albion later receives Murrit's memo pertaining to the game and its nature. Albion then speaks to her lusus, a Star Guardian, as she prepares herself to merge with it. The Star Guardian then reveals that there's been a change of plan and that Repiton is meant for destruction, not salvation. Shocked at the horrible realization, Albion reaches out to Laivan, who is unfortunately away from his computer. She is then messaged by her matesprit, Sovara Amalie, concerned over Albion's apparent absence. Albion refuses to reply and involve her in troubles. Albion is then thrust back into her vision with her lusus, and she demands that the lusus explain itself. The Star Guardian repeats that Repiton is unavoidably doomed and that she is merely destined to leave it. The Star Guardian then tells her that it was fulfilling an obligation to Albion's predecessor -- her ancestor -- to set events into a course that would allow Albion's ancestor to briefly take control of Albion's body and message Dismas telling him of the importance of the events to come, and warn him to not "follow credence of the man who spins words like yarn" and to stop "the limeblooded vessel to his heart". Albion is seen staring in astonishment in The Cell as her ancestor takes further control and shows her prophetic visions from the past, present, and future. Meanwhile, Albion is included in both Murrit and Ellsee's memos but is unable to respond to them. Albion's ancestor -- The Exemplar -- speaks to Albion. She speaks of her own life, and her similar upbringing to Albion's, being told all her life that she was destined to bring about a better future, and similarly taught how to control her emotions; which The Exemplar studiously mastered. As she neared maturity she encountered White Noise in her meditation and was taken in to help set the proper conditions for the game that Albion and her friends would play, with promises of a grand future, similar to those spoken by her lusus. She speaks about her relationship with The Vivifier and their time together during The Renaissance. The Exemplar used the remains on the power she was granted by White Noise pass on her abilities, as well as her attunement to The Cell and the Star Guardian onto Albion, so she would be able to speak to Albion in her lifetime. She once again warns Albion about The Game, White Noise, and the Vivifier's descendant; Ellsee, insisting that Ellsee be excluded from the game for everyone's sake, knowing that Ellsee will one day be used by White Noise against them. Albion is empathetic to her ancestor's plight but refuses to allow her to decide what's the best course of action for her, citing her lies thus far as a reason to distrust The Exemplar. The Exemplar tells an outraged Albion that she intentionally fed lies to Albion as a means to harden her so she would be better able to protect herself and her friends from what is to come. Furious, Albion punches her ancestor in the face. The Exemplar looks in horror, not at the aggression Albion showed, but because her former followers had finally found her in the Frog Temple and were bent on killing her. While The Exemplar is beaten and bleeding, she expresses that she wishes that she could have had more time with Albion before her death to make her understand what she told her, and saying that Albion will end up experiencing more pain than she could ever imagine and that she is sorry for that. During the game Albion has not currently been shown to have entered the game. Personality and Traits Albion is a friendly and personable troll who has been noted as her friends' resident shoulder to cry on in times of need. When first introduced, she is a strong believer in the forces of fate and destiny. Having been told all her life that she is the twelfth and final incarnation in a line of inter-dimensional and extraterrestrial line of prophets, she's learned to take great stock in various forms of mystical and religious powers by keeping her body chemistry evened out. She also took great pride in crafting stories from the stars and crafting them in Repitonian Pre-Text to keep up the old traditions of planetary folklore. She has a thing for scented candles and bath bomb-like items called 'glop enhancers' as well. She also regularly translates scrolls for Sovara Amalie. Prior to the events of the game, Albion was very excited for the promised day where will salvage Repiton and her friends from the end of the world (this day would actually end up being the day that she and her friends are meant to leave to enter the game). Upon discovering the truth of her supposed destiny and the fact that her Star Guardian had been lying to her all her life as a promise to her Ancestor. Albion is understandably outraged; outraged for the first time in many sweeps, even going through an identity crisis. She is further upset when she learns that her ancestor deliberately set up these lies as a means of conditioning Albion to be more powerful and as a means to prepare her for what is to come. While still kindly and empathetic, Albion shows are more aggressive and violent side of her personality, especially when she is speaking with her Ancestor. Relationships Tazsia Poemme Albion is in a Moraillegence with Taz, although their relationship fluctuates part-time into Auspisticism with Occeus on occasion. Taz has stated that she finds Albion to be a "special kind of scary" and "perfect". Albion is notable among Taz's close relationships in that she is the only troll who is able to placate Taz's aggression, with Taz being outright gentle and thoughtful when interacting with Albion. Taz herself isn't sure how Albion manages to do this. Taz has specifically stated that she does not share Albion's religious beliefs and more or less thinks of them to be horseshit. This is likely due to Taz's own beliefs within the Mirthamaniacs. Sovara Amalie Albion is in a red relationship with Sovara Amalie. She has been shown to care deeply about this relationship, even though she does not allow herself to show it or allow her to interfere in her personal matters. She also did not speak to her on the night she was meant to merge with her Star Guardian, showing she may be rather worried about getting her involved personally in her more serious affairs. Albion regularly translates the ancient scrolls that Sova finds. It has been confirmed that the two are unbonded, as they are still relatively new to being in a relationship. Laivan Ferroo Although their relationship has not been elaborated on, Albion and Laivan appear to be on good terms and do message one another enough to where Albion feels comfortable in asking Laivan for help. Laivan appears to be quite concerned when she messages him in a panic, but disappears before he can respond. Dismas Mersiv Albion appears to be fond of Dismas but has yet to interact with him directly in-comic. Dismas amicable with Albion, and is quite concerned when she behaves oddly when she is (unbeknown to him) possessed by her long-dead ancestor. Occeus Coliad Due to the likely tumultuous relationship between Taz and Occeus, as Taz's moirail, Albion is often pulled to act as the mediator when they enter the ashen quadrant. As the two have yet to interact in-comic, it is unknown what Albion and Occeus' relationship is like. The Exemplar Due to the circumstances of their meeting, Albion is very angry and distrustful of her ancestor, the Exemplar (a.k.a. Cyprim Shukra). The Exemplar uses the Cell to speak to Albion from her own time period, in an attempt to provide words of warning and advice to Albion in regards to The Game, but Albion -- having just learned that her lusus had lied to her her whole life, and that The Exemplar was responsible for all of it -- is outraged at her ancestor's lies and initially refuses to listen to her. Albion is however, sympathetic to her ancestor's plight after she is told of her life. Albion is further outraged when she learns that her ancestor was intentionally conditioning her to suppress her emotions through and hide herself away so her rage would be more potent. The Exemplar views her descendant in a somewhat maternal manner. Having been given the ability to see the future by White Noise, The Exemplar was shown the pain and suffering that Albion and her friends would go through in their lifetime, greater than any pain that the Exemplar would go through in her own life. Having been lied to and betrayed by those her she served and worked with, the Exemplar seeks to protect and prepare her descendant, through any means necessary, in hopes that her descendant can avoid her own pain from the very same people. When the Exemplar is found and killed by her former followers in her own time, The Exemplar expresses regret over not having had the chance to spend more time with Albion, and that she is sorry about all the pain Albion will endure. Trivia * Albion's Skorpe handle is demiurgeQuantified. This name has a few terms to it. ** A demiurge is "a being who is responsible for the creation of a universe" this refers to how Albion and the eleven others must resurrect Kheparia to restore her. ** The word quantified means "to express or measure the quantity of" ** The Skorpe handle demiurgeQuantified may mean "a defined universe creator" ** The word demiurge is an English word that comes from the Latinized Greek word 'demiurgus'. It was originally a noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan" but soon came to mean "provider" and then "creator" * According to some strains of Gnosticism, the demiurge is malevolent as it is connected to the material world. This may point out the obvious fact that Albion is a physical being and not a spiritual one. ** The demiurge is not exactly the creator figure in the monothetic sense, due to the demiurge itself and the material that the demiurge uses to create a universe from are both consequences of "something else". This "something else" may very well be referring to The Game. ** The world that the demiurge creates is imperfect due to it being created in a chaotic environment. This may be a reference to how Kheparia's cycle always spawns new planets that end up slowly decaying, requiring the use of The Game while not necessarily being its true purpose. * Coincidentally, Albion's, Occeus's, Laivan's, and Elsee's signs can be found on the cover of this graphic novel * Albion is a Prospit dreamer, an oliveblood, and a hero of Hope, meaning her extended zodiac sign would be Lenius * Her mood ring is meant to show her emotions. Each color means something different. ** Green: Stable ** Blue: Hope ** Purple: Compassion ** Pink: Pity ** Yellow: Fear ** Orange: Greed ** Red: Rage ** Black: Blank ** White: Merged with lusus Gallery Albion_trying_to_meditate.png|Young Albion Albion_looking_at_ring.png|Albion pre-game Albion_behind_her.png|Albion in-game Albion, dreamself.png|Albion - dreamself Category:Troll